MAP: The Incredibly Inconsistent Cost Of Electricity Across Europe

The Economist via Marc Chandler This Great Graphic was posted on the Economist. It shows what households pay for a kilowatt hour of electricity in Europe.

While Europe is integrating at different speeds on different sets of policies, and electricity can easily flow over national borders, electricity remains a very national market. And the price of electricity varies greatly in Europe. An Italian family pays more than three times what a Bulgarian family pays and twice what a French family pays.

There are local reasons for this. Italian households pay among the most for electricity because of relatively high taxes and regulatory inefficiencies. Denmark taxes are the highest in Europe. Germany's electricity subsidizes the development of renewables.

Even though France, where households pay among the least for electricity, has not been able to find a way to turn it into a competitive advantage, countries like Cyprus, Portugal and Italy may find reform of their electricity markets may benefit industry as well. .